BLEND IN

HUNTSVILLE – Pink stinks, according to one Town of Huntsville committee.

Kari Lambe, executive director of community services and economic development for the town, told the public infrastructure and protective services committee on April 15 that a company would donate $5 per month to the Huntsville hospital for each porta-potty rented by the town this summer.

But the porta-potties would have to be pink.

The pink portable toilets are part of Northern Disposal and Sanitation’s Pink for Patients campaign. A portion of the rental proceeds support cancer diagnostic and care programs at Huntsville District Memorial Hospital.

“This is a wonderful way to honour and or remember loved ones affected by cancer,” stated the company on its website.

But committee members rejected the idea of a bright colour, while expressing an interest in a subtler colour, such as green or grey.

“I thought the idea was to make these things as invisible as possible,” said Coun. Tim Withey. “I appreciate the support for the hospital, but these need to blend in.”

Coun. Karin Terziano noted that the more common blue and yellow versions, which are the other options available to the town, do not blend in either.

But Lambe noted the company offering the bolder colours was the only one to respond to the town’s request for quotations for the temporary toilets.

Staff noted the town rents 20 to 30 porta-potties a year. The cost is estimated at about $11,000.

Mayor Claude Doughty asked whether it would be more beneficial to the town to buy portable toilets that were a colour committee members wanted, then hire a contractor to maintain them.

Colleen MacDonald, manager of parks and cemeteries for the town, commented vandals often target the porta-potties and the damage would cost the town money to fix if it owned the facilities.

“We did have a few incidents last year where fires were lit inside them or they were cut,” said MacDonald.

But Doughty said a contractor would build those costs into the price it charges the town to rent the toilets.

He said purchasing porta-potties might be worth the expense.

“Because the others are bloody unsightly,” said Doughty. “In a nice park, do you want something that’s going to make you want to tear your eyes out?”

Committee asked staff to investigate the issue further.

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(1) Comment

By Linda|APRIL 25, 2014 02:37 PM

Wow! Did the request say virtually invisible green or grey toilets? Northern Disposal & Sanitation (NDS) toilets are blue and yellow or pink. They’re clean, well-stocked, maintained and visible. If I have to go, I’m not searching for an invisible toilet? Lambe said NDS “was the only one to respond to the town’s request for quotations”. Do they have the contract? Who pays for damages and on-going costs associated with town owned units? Taxpayers, of course! Can committee members see past the colour to the big picture? When the town requests tenders to clean, stock and maintain their units, who will submit one? I’m guessing NDS won’t. If another company wanted the town’s business, they would have offered one in the 1st place, wouldn’t they?